Sandy Lee

On that specific file the government has recognized that there are only a few shelters that are funded in a specific way. We recognize there are other communities without shelters that need outreach and support. Not everybody wants to be able to or wishes to take advantage of a shelter, but we have people in the communities who need the support on family violence issues. We have put in money to do the outreach work. I’m not sure where we are with that money for the Sahtu region, but I will make a commitment to get back to the Member as to how we are reaching the communities on that.

That is a good example. I need to state clearly that the reason that application was not able to be approved was not because it was not coming from an NGO but because the funding for that specific fiscal year had been fully subscribed. We are considering that application for the next fiscal year, which is coming up on April 1st.

I can also advise the Member that we have had applications from other communities like Fort Resolution and we worked with people interested in accessing that funding to find a sponsor in that community who could apply for funding. We are totally able and we will work...

Right now the authorities are set up as a board of management and they do have independent power and authority to use the money from within. So the Member knows that in terms of the mental health worker, I did issue a directive and we were able to correct that. With the health and social services staffing, under the current system it’s not as easily done. That’s why I’m committing with the Member that we will look at how we could change the way we are delivering the service so that we could work at looking at what each community has in terms of essential services. If we’re willing to come up...

Mr. Speaker, the Foundation for Change Action Plan is designed to look at our system to see how we can make structural changes in order that we can enhance our level of care and services in small communities. That work is not complete. We have just introduced that. We are working to bring back to the Members across to see what kind of changes we need to make so that we can strengthen the services in areas that the Member is talking about.

The Member is right; we face a number of challenges demographically, in terms of location, in terms of shortage of health professionals, but I agree with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a group of strong, wise and hardworking women in the gallery today, and I’d like to introduce them: Lyda Fuller is the most recent recipient of the Wise Woman Award, and also the executive director of the YWCA; Lorraine Phaneuf, who is the executive director of the Status of Women Council of the NWT; Annemieke Mulders, program manager for the Status of Women Council; Irene Savoy, office manager of the Status of Women Council; and Marilyn Hardisty, project officer for Northern Women in Mining, Oil and Gas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that Bill 1, An Act to Amend the Veterinary Profession Act, be read for the second time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill amends the Veterinary Profession Act to provide that an applicant for registration in the Veterinary Register who is not already registered as a veterinarian in a province or territory must have been granted a certificate of qualification upon successful completion of examinations set by the National Examining Board of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Provisions pertaining to registration fees are...

Yes, I will undertake to get that information to the Member.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware that there are defibrillators in every community and there are staff allocated and trained to use that piece of equipment. Thank you.

Yes, absolutely, and we do that already. I believe when we were in Tulita, the Member and myself, the grand chief in fact recognized us for having streamlined the funding proposal process and they were able to access funding. On a daily basis our staff does work with band councils or municipal governments to help them with the application process so they can access the funding that we offer.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NGOs are just one form of organizing a group of people together with like-minded philosophies and goals and desires to advance the causes that they work for, whether they be environment or women’s issues or family violence issues or a whole number of areas that NGOs are involved in.

In terms of being able to access program funding or tap into government programs, this government considers applications from groups other than NGOs, because we are very well aware of the fact that small communities don’t necessarily have these NGOs. So we often work with local societies...